Sunday, November 11, 2012

Planetary Energies for November 12 to 18, 2012

THE FIRST of our two November eclipses is on Tuesday this week. This first one is a Total Solar Eclipse, visible from northern Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific. It is also our first eclipse of the new Scorpio-Taurus series, which means we are in the process of shifting the focus of our shared evolutionary growth.

For the past 18 months, we've been working with eclipses in Sagittarius and Gemini that have pushed us to move beyond the chatter of the mind and into the wisdom of our deeper knowing. We're not completely done with that work, since our Lunar Eclipse on November 28 is in Gemini and a rare third eclipse in May 2013 is in Sagittarius -- but with Tuesday's eclipse in Scorpio, we are taking first steps into new evolutionary territory.

IT IS TERRAIN we have already seen glimpses of through the trees over the past few weeks, especially since Saturn entered Scorpio on October 5. Scorpio brings to the surface what has been hidden, and so we have collectively become aware of many issues in recent weeks (and recent days) that had been successfully kept under wraps until now.

If step one of the Scorpio process is revelation, step two is knowing what to release or remove as a result of the awareness that has surfaced. As Jan Spiller writes in her chapter on Scorpio in her excellent book Astrology for the Soul:"Through welcoming the new opportunities life brings, the tendency to 'get stuck' can be effortlessly bypassed. You've got to let go of what's already gone."We all become attached to what is familiar. It can be very hard to release our grasp on what has become comfortable through familiarity, even if it is unhealthy or clearly a part of our past and not our future.

This week's Scorpio Solar Eclipse is a catalyst that will help us transform our lives in ways that are now essential to our ongoing (or renewed) passion for life and to our sense of greater purpose. It assists us in making those often difficult choices of releasing the old to make way for the new.

ANOTHER BOOK co-written Jan Spiller and Karen McCoy, entitled Spiritual Astrology, states that a Scorpio Solar Eclipse carries the energy of "what goes around comes around." For this reason especially, we need to pay attention to our inner voice of conscience and our inner heart of compassion as we work with this eclipse influence.

Scorpio can be rather intense and single-minded, leaving little room for the awareness of our impact on others. We may be so clear about what needs to change, or so caught up in our own forward motion that we are oblivious to how someone else may be affected.

USING SCORPIO ENERGIES with integrity means that while we are being honest with others and true to ourselves, we are also focused on empowering others -- not ignoring, controlling or manipulating them. This takes a great deal of self-awareness, so it is safe to say we may stumble a few times before we get this particular lesson learned.

Since Scorpio is a fixed sign, we may also have to work with our own stubbornness and resistance to receiving help or input from others. Ultimately, Scorpio is about empowerment through sharing of energies and resources. And yet, we all have a certain amount of "I can do this myself, leave me alone" in us -- or other attitudes that help us feel like we're in control and therefore can't be hurt by the unknown.

OTHER THEMES associated with this Solar Eclipse come from Martin Goldsmith's book "The Zodiac by Degrees," which supplies descriptive phrases for each degree of the zodiac. Here are a few of his phrases describing 22 degrees of Scorpio, the location of the eclipse:"Emotional responsiveness and vulnerability; being emotionally open vs. knowing when someone can't be trusted; powerful and direct expression of emotion; speaking directly to the situation; steadfast pursuit of noble goals, spiritual attunement."THIS SOLAR ECLIPSE is also in alignment with a Galactic Anomaly at 23 degrees of Scorpio. This type of galactic energy source emits radio waves and infrared radiation that work with us on subtle levels.

This particular Galactic Anomaly is said to enhance our detachment and determination, as well as our ability to see the Truth behind illusion. It also provides the support for "transforming even a turbulent situation into an advantage for growth." (from Karmic Galactic Astrology by Mary Elizabeth Jochmans)

IN ADDITION to the eclipse, a few other planetary interactions stand out as important this week. In particular, Chiron stations direct on Wednesday, Saturn and Uranus form a quincunx aspect on Thursday, and Saturn trines Chiron on Friday.

Chiron has been in retrograde (backward) motion since June 11, leading us on a journey to revisit issues of trust and faith on one hand, and self-sacrifice, martyrdom and victimization on the other. In truth, these are two sides of the same coin. If we trust and have faith, we do not need to sacrifice or martyr ourselves, and we look at issues where we might feel victimized from a different perspective.

THE SATURN-CHIRON TRINE on Friday helps us ground the new truths that we may have intuited over these past five months, that have not been fully conscious until now. This aspect also provides the foundation for continued healing and strengthening to occur.

At virtually the same time, Saturn forms a quincunx with Uranus. This aspect indicates we have reached a fork in the road, and that we need to make certain adjustments before we can proceed further. And yet, a quincunx tells us that it is not an "either-or" question, but a time when we must face a seeming paradox and find ways to utilize the best of both routes that are open before us.

In other words, this quincunx challenges us to figure out how to use both the self-assertive, forward-thinking independence of Uranus in Aries and the deeper trust, emotional honesty, and interdependence represented by Saturn in Scorpio.

No small task -- but the universe appears to have faith that we can do it!

Blessings,

Pam

NorthPoint Astrology Blog: For occasional postings on astrological and metaphysical topics, please visit http://northpointastrology.blogspot.com/ -- I look forward to your comments! To Subscribe to the NorthPoint Journal: If you have been forwarded this issue of my NorthPoint Astrology Journal and would like to receive it directly every week, please click here. Then, scroll down to the bottom of the webpage, fill out the subscription form, and click on Submit. To request a personal astrology reading, please e-mail Pam at pam@northpointastrology.com. Or, see the "Readings" page at www.northpointastrology.com to learn more. Please feel free to share this NorthPoint Journal with people you think may enjoy it. When doing so, please forward it in its entirety, including our contact and copyright information. Copyright NorthPoint Astrology 2012. All Rights Reserved.